For a Brother
by Random Elf
Summary: The young prince Hector holds a dear secret close to his heart, so what happens when he lets that secret slip...To his little brother
1. Prologue

â¢ Prologue His hands clenched, fingers scratching at the almost perfect white marble steps, chocolate eyes clamped shut, his face contorted with agony. The usually perfectly placed ash coloured curls fell about his face, almost trying to hide the added humiliation that he, the eldest prince of Troy, was crying. Upon the steps to the great Temple of Apollo, Hector's hands were bound in front of him, sitting on his knees, first hearing, then feeling the crack of the leather whip against his skin. "Paris...." he whimpered as he tried to remember why he was enduring this pain and suffering. They had been blasphemous, the two of them together in Athena's olive grove, but of course it was big brother that took the downfall. It always was. Prince Paris of Troy stood on the balcony of his own chambers, watching the sun set over the great city, His great city. A smile played on the young boy's face as he recalled the day's events. He was seven years younger than his brother, now aged just 15, though he had a natural beauty that even Hector could not surpass. He was the Prince Paris, already well known, especially with his reputation the opposite sex. But now... the same sex also? His own brother, nonetheless. The young prince's eyes pricked up at the cries and sobs that echoed through the empty streets from the temple, the boy responded with nothing more than a shrug. "Just a servant I would imagine." Though only speaking to the air, paying no mind to the desperate pleas, he had something else to focus his mind on... 


	2. Chapter One

â¢ Chapter One Hector was meant to have come to him over an hour previous, but he hadn't. Where was he? Young Prince Paris still resided at his balcony for only a second more before turning and taking but a few arrogant strides back into the shade of his bedchambers. The brightly dyed toga, the brooches on the shoulders lay forgotten, just fell around his waist exposing his bronzed skin. And what sweet skin it was...according to Hector anyhow. Yes, these were the precise words his brother had used. Dropping onto the silken sheets of his bed, he allowed his mind to transport him back to earlier that day... "You look like you have had an enjoyable morning brother..." Hector said, as he stepped out of the shadows and in front of his younger sibling as he tried to slip back into the palace. "You weren't in lessons. Councillor Egia wishes to tell father that you haven't been attending" Hector tried to hide the playful smirk upon his handsome, clean-shaven face. It had been two weeks since he had celebrated his 22nd birthday and what a celebration it was. Three days of festivities for the entire city, filled with the young naivety that would soon be pulled away from him as he knew what loomed ahead. The Battlefields. Hector was enlisted under his father's commands, and now he could only pray for peace. Though of course he knew this was but a foolish dream, knowing deep in his heart that war would make him who he was supposed to be. To take his place beside his fellow Trojans, to lead their armies into battle, for it was well known that no one else would. King Priam too old. Paris too young. And so it fell to Hector. He was skilled with a sword, that fact was not contended. He had been taking lessons every day since his 10th birthday and had almost grown a passion for the folded steel. "Hector!" yelled the younger, clasping at his chest to get over the surprise of his brother just nearing the spot where he had just had his own "lessons" with a kitchen slave. "Yes Paris?" said the elder sibling, arching a dark ebony brow, that playful smirk making its way to his lips only to infuriate his brother more. "You torture for not going to lessons, but yet father is always insisting that our duty..." Pausing to stick his nose in the air dramatically. "Is for the people of Troy...And it is that duty I humbly keep to..." "I am quite sure that father didn't mean that you were to impregnate every young lady within the city walls," said Hector, rolling his eyes and ruffling Paris' dark locks...Those sinful locks, of chocolate colour, still tinged with sweat from the sport he had obviously just taken part in. Blinking himself back into reality, Hector put on another smile as they both walked arm in arm up the large stone steps, Paris of course boasting about the beautiful blonde. 


	3. Chapter Two

â¢ Chapter Two "PARIS!!!" The calls of the schoolmaster echoed through the princes' quarters of the palace. "PARIS!!!" The teenage son sat up sharply in his bed, paling a shade or two as he looked around panicking ever so slightly. "Oh gods..." His voice strained as he struggled to untangle himself from his sheets, pulling a high cut shirt over his head and a length of material, tying it around his waist. "PARIS!!!" The voice continued, standing in the middle of the room, the younger brother started to panic. "Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods. Hector!!!" Big brother would save him. He knew it. With that thought in mind he quickly slid out of his bedroom and down the hall, flinging open the flimsy curtain into his brother's room. "Hector! Help!" The elder brother just groggily slid over in bed and held out the sheets to the boy, who quickly dove in bed next to the muscular man, almost trembling against him. There was a reason why Hector's room was the only room in the entire palace without a door, as there was a reason Paris always ran to him. He always had done. Since their mother's death, the younger boy had always suffered nightmares and so Hector was always there to comfort him. But soon, the elder got weary of waiting for the knock knock on the wood each night and just removed the door so that Paris could slide silently into the room and into bed with him. To keep him safe. To keep him warm. If only Paris knew...But then they wouldn't have these brotherly moments, that was the thought that kept returning to his own troubled mind as he kept his secrets and just cared for his beautiful little brother. "Prince Hector, have you seen..." The confused voice of Egia peered around the curtain only to trail off as he saw the common site of the two brothers arm in arm. "My Lord Hector, your brother has lessons which require attendance." Almost letting out a groan Hector opened his eyes, trying to focus on the man in front of him. "My brother is ill Councillor, he caught a chill during the night." "But then surely he needs to be seen to by a healer..." "He is fine in my care councillor." "But then..." "Councillor!" Hector narrowed his eyes on the greying man. The prince was not a morning person at the best of times, but to have some man demand that he was to pull Paris from his own bed was not going to happen. Egia just cleared his throat, studying the man. "If I may Prince Hector, Paris has not been attending his lessons." "That I know," he said, letting out another yawn, trying to hide a smirk as Paris poked him playfully under the sheets. "And he must attend this day, sick or not I don't..." Sitting up slowly Hector's dark eyes narrowed to slits "What are you saying sir? You don't trust my word when I say my brother is ill?" "No, Hector its just..." "Its just nothing...Leave us." And with that he slid back down into bed pulling the sheets over his head. Egia stood there for but a moment more before turning and leaving the room with a swoosh of a curtain. At that precise point, Paris just burst into giggles. "You're great, Hector you know that?...-He caught a chill during the night-? Phft." Hector just rolled his eyes and flipped over onto his stomach, his mop of curls just falling over his face, staring up at Paris through what seemed to be his own prison. "Now perhaps I can get my mornings rest?" Paris just pouted, as was his way. "But I thought we were going to go down to the river today...I was looking forward to the swim away from father's eyes." Hector just let out another groan and pulled the silk up over his head. "Unless there is a reason that you did not get sleep dear brother..." The tables had turned to the younger teasing the elder, and what fun Paris had with it. His brother's reputation with the women was not well known mainly to its non-existence, but he just believed his brother was exceedingly secretive. "Or perhaps...Many reasons..." The only response Paris received was a sharp push, sending him flailing to the floor. "I was just saying..." "You can –just say- all you like dear brother, though my personal bedroom fancies do not concern you no matter how much you yourself believe it so." "So it was a girl." The younger's eyes lit up mischievously. "No it wasn't, it wasn't anyone," the larger man replied, almost too quickly, pulling from the bed to his feet, wrapping a length of cotton around his waist, holding it there with a thin band of crimson rope. "Plus, even if it was Paris, I wouldn't tell you." Arching a brow as he watched his older brother, now pouting and trying to use the –sweet innocent- card that he liked to use so often "And you know that doesn't work on me so don't bother." Paris just let out an overdramatic sigh and got up also. "So what are we to do then today Hector?" Already near to perfecting the skill of whining, it was becoming more and more frequent to say the least. Hector just shrugged, glancing in his looking glass at the tussled brown curls. "Well..." The younger brother contemplated aloud "We could always go sit down in the stables. It's nice and cool down there. And no one will find me." Obviously the idea of Councillor Egia finding him up and about wasn't an option. Hector just nodded, soon giving up with trying to make his hair sit in some sort of order, and soon after a quick stop in the winery, the two brothers were running as fast as their legs would carry them down to the stables with two large urns of stolen wine under their arms. 


End file.
